City
goes extra mile for Sir Elton
In the
few hours Elton John is in New Zealand he will be lavished with gifts and food.
Sir Elton arrives in Wellington this afternoon from Australia on a private jet.
He will be whisked to Westpac Stadium in a new chauffeur-driven Mercedes, where
he will be taken to his suite.
"He's
only here a matter of hours but you'd think we were fitting out an entire house,"
promoter Phil Sprey said of Sir Elton's "green room". The suite will feature leather
couches, rugs, coffee tables, lamps and glass work by Nelson's Hoglund Glass.
Sir Elton is fond of the one-off glass creations made by husband and wife team
Ola and Marie Hoglund and already has several of their works.
Sir
Elton has requested bunches of flowers in his personal rooms _ but has stipulated
no chrysanthemums, carnations, lilies or daisies. While the performer doesn't
drink alcohol, crew members will have a selection of New Zealand wines to choose
from. Because time is so tight, the superstar won't have time for a proper "sitdown"
dinner before the concert so Wellington caterer Ruth Pretty is providing a selection
of cherries, strawberries, raspberries, New Zealand lamb cutlets and New Zealand
cheeses.
Sir Elton is travelling with a staff of 28, including a hairstylist and makeup
artist. They will all be given pounamu pendants, books on Wellington, and a selection
of New Zealand music. Sir Elton will also be given a whalebone necklace, made
by Wellington's Weta Workshop, and beauty products by local woman Margaret Hema
and New Zealand companies Trilogy and Living Earth.
Mr
Sprey said he wanted to go the extra mile because he hoped the singer and his
crew would spread the good word about Wellington. Sir Elton flies to Melbourne
after the concert ends. His piano and other equipment will be trucked to Ohakea
to be flown out because it is too heavy for Wellington Airport. The weather is
forecast to be fine for tonight's concert.
The
furniture used by Sir Elton and his crew will be auctioned to raise money for
Wellington Free Ambulance. It will go on display at Parker Ferguson's Thorndon
Quay store on Friday. Bidding will close on December 10. - The Dominion Post
